Oil burner



Aug. 28,1928. 1,682,615

H. H. HOLMES ET AL OIL BURNER Filed Sept. 29, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS WITNESSES H H lmes, x I Aliza ve ATTORNEYS Aug. 28, 1928. 1,682,615

H. H. HOLMES ET AL OIL BURNER Filed Sept. 29, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES INVENTORS 2 g [/11 //ol)ne6 '91 1 AZBYLEper-Sen.

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ATTORNEYS Patented Au 28, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAROLD H. HOLMES AND ARTHUR F. ESPERSEN, OF LA CROSSE, WISCONSIN.

OIL BURNER.

Application filed September 29, 1926.

This invention relates to an improvement in oil burners of the type embodying a rotating spreader for the oil and a motor for rotating the spreader and for actuating a fan which supplies the air to the burner.

The object of the invention is to provide an oil burner of this character wherein all of the air or practically all of the air utilized in the combustion of the oil is positively caused to circulate around the motor, thereby cooling the motor.

Another object resides in the provision of a. novel form of spreader and novel means for feeding the oil thereto in such manner that the oil cools the spreader and prevents back- Ward heating of the motor shaft and is itself prepared for more efficient combustion in the combustion chamber. The oil is fed to the spreader in such a novel manner that the formation of carbon is minimized if not prevented and these advantages are had not only when the spreader is being rotated but also when it remains stationary.

A further object resides in the provision of an oil burner having these advantages and capacities zind which is of simple, durable and compact construction, easy and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture and install and well balanced when assembled with the furnace door.

Other objects and advantages reside in certain novel features of the construct-ion, combination and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which Figure l is a perspective view showing an oil burner applied to the furnace,

Figure 2 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation showing the construction of the oil burner,

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail view partly in section and partly in elevation and showing the construction of the rotating spreader.

Referring to the drawings and more particularly to Figure 1 the furnace is designated at F, the oil burner at B, the electrical connection at E and the oil supply tank at O. The oil burner B is mounted on the door of the furnace and comprises a bowl 1 providing a combustion chamber having an opening 2 Serial No. 138,477.

freely communicating with the firebox of the furnace. This bowl 1 has an attaching flange 2 secured by fastening devices 3 to the inner face of the furnace door D. On the outside of the furnace door the neck 4 of a housing 5 is secured, the neck 4 being mounted on an inward extension 6, of the flange 2 of the bowl 1 by means of double-ended stud bolts 7 extending through openings provided therefor in the furnace door and threadedly connected with the flange 6 and with the neck 4. As shown in the drawings the neck 4 converges toward its open end and directs the supply of air against the back of a rotating spreader, designated generally at 10. The rotating spreader comprises a'tapered hub 11 and an outwardly and forwardly curving body portion 12 having a slightly rearwardly oii'set outer section 13. The hub 11 is mounted on the reduced end 14 of a shaft 15 and is held on said reduced end by a nut 16. The shaft 15 is suitably connected to the armature shaft of an electric motor 18 supported Within the housing 5 in spaced relation to the inner walls thereof. This housing 5 has an air inlet 19 which may be conveniently controlled or regulated by a damper 20. On the end of the armature shaft of the motor located adjacent the opening 19 a fan 21 is secured. This fan when rotated by the motor 18 pulls the air in through the air inlet opening 19 and posi- 'tivelyforces the air around the motor and thence through the neck 4 around the spreader and into the combustion chamber 11. While the air is pulled in by the fan it is projected against the motor so as to insure cooling of the motor under all circumstances and even though the casing or housing be vented between the motor and the furnace.

The oil from the tank O is fed down through an oil supply line 25 having a combined regulating and shut-off valve 26 therein. Beyond the valve 26 the oil supply line has connected thereto a curved oil supply tube 27 extending through the housing 5 and terminating closely adjacent to the hub 11 of the rotating spreader so that the oil is delivered onto the hub at the back of the spreader at the joint ofthe hub with the shaft 15 and operates to cool these arts and prevent heatof the spreader and over the hub thereof to maintain the back of the spreader and its connection with shaft 16 cool thereby preventing heating of the motor bearings. It also preheats and vaporizes the oil prior to the admixture of the air and prior to the combustion thereof in the combustion chamber. As the oil does not burn until it has been thoroughly preheated and vaporized and commingled with the air the formation of carbon is minimized if not prevented. After the oil has travelled from the hub 11 across the inner face of the body of the spreader to the periphery of the spreader the oil is thrown out into the space between the peripheral edge of the spreader and the inner periphery of the combustion chamber and while being projected across this space it encounters the whirling blast of air which is forced through the combastion chamber by the fan. This insures the formation of a highly combustible mixture which is ignited within the combustion chamher to produce the maximum amount of heat. Even when the burner is idlin and only a low flame and a low degree of eat is to be produced the spreader contributes to the efficiency of the action and to the end of preventing formation of carbon since at such time the oil drops slowly onto the hub and feeds out across the back face of the spreader under the influence of capillary attraction. At this point it is well to note that when the spreader is rotated the oil spreads across the back face thereof and does so not only under the influence of centrifugal force but also under the influence of ca illary attraction. The spreading of the thin film of oil across the back face of the spreader exposes the same for the maximum amount of time to the air that circulates through the burner and also cools the spreader and simultaneously vaporizes the oil. The vaporization of the oil is very effectively had with this organization since it is spread out over a large area directly in back of the combustion chamber. In other words the front face of the spreader is exposed to the terrific heat in the combustion chamber and over the rear face of this spreader a thin film of oil is continually spread. The tapered formation of the hub 11 ensures the flowing down thereover of the oil discharged through pipe 27 and its entry to the joint between the hub and the shaft whereby this joint is kept cool and the transmission of the heat through said shaft 15 to the motor bearings is prevented. This constitutes an important feature of the invention.

The advantage of having the fan back of the motor resides not only in the feature of insuring circulation of air around the motor but also in the provision of a more compact organization. It is entirely practical and feasible to place the motor much closer to the furnace door with this arrangement than with an arrangement where the fan is located between the motor and the furnace door.

1. An oil burner comprising a combustion chamber, a housing having a neck discharging into the combustion chamber, an electric motor in the housing having shafts projecting from its opposite ends, a rotating spreader mounted on the shaft of the motor that extends into the combustion chamber, a fan located on the other shaft, the housing having an opening adjacent said fan, said rotating spreader having its forward face exposed to the tire of the combustion chamber and having a curving rear face of unbroken continuous structure, and means for supplying oil to the rear face of the spreader at the hub thereof.

2. An oil burner comprising a combustion chamber, a housing having a neck discharging into the combustion chamber, an electric motor in the housing having shafts projecting from its opposite ends, a rotating spreader mounted on the shaft of the motor that extends into the combustion chamber, a fan located on the other shaft, the housing having an opening adjacent said fan, said rotating spreader having its forward face exposed to the fire of the combustion chamher and having a curving rear face of unbroken continuous structure, and means for supplyin oil to the rear face of the spreader at the hu thereof and including an oil tube extending through the housing and terminating adjacent the hub of the spreader.

HAROLD H. HOLMES. ARTHUR F. ESPERSEN. 

